The long mishap - Part 1, by @marc-allaria (translated from French)

vcelier (73) in travel • 6 years ago

This is an authorized translation in English of a post in French by @marc-allaria: RECIT - Stop#8- LA LONGUE GALERE - Episode 1...!

^{As my primary language is not English, there are probably some mistakes in my translation.}

Remember that the person who speaks here is NOT me, Vincent Celier (@vcelier), but Marc Allaria (@marc-allaria), a French guy.

The long mishap, Part 1

Crack ...

Silayar, the peaceful one. It could be the perfect word to define it in a very general way. Friendly people, simple lives, beautiful scenery without being extraordinary, everything follows his path here. This is the feeling that I have since my arrival in Sulawesi. I know in advance that I will be well received, that I can allow myself to go see the people and I will get only benevolence.

* * * * *

(

Waterfalls

Today I anchor in front of some huts I saw from the sea. Higher up on the mountain I think I saw beautiful waterfalls. A little fresh water would do me a lot of good. I go to shore, greet the first person to introduce myself and explain my idea. It will not take longer to see the man I just met turn into a mountain guide! So here we are, trudging between brook and forest, three words of English each, direction the heights of the village. Simple, no?

Simple and peaceful. The falls are superb. A tangle of waterfalls overlooking a breathtaking view of the sea and Aurora. I am still surprised to live these moments of happiness with such ease. My guide will even refuse a little money that I tried to give him, but eventually accept a good tea aboard the boat! I would continue to go along this island on this pace of nonchalance and ease, but unfortunately, Selayar does not drag on and going southward, the tip of the island ends up pointing out its nose. So I leave this island that is looking innocuous but is finally full of surprises. The wind is mild, the sky clear, all the sails of Aurora are out and I head for the Sabalana Islands, south of Borneo.

Sentiment of appeasement and sweetness. Nothing can happen to me. I feel safe, isolated but never alone, in a reliable boat that continues to forgive my mistakes. I lose sight of Selayar, I lose sight of any land. It's been a long time since I had been in this situation. The wind slightly presses on my sails, Aurora advance quite quietly leaving me all the time to play some notes on my guitar, to repair one or two odds of my endless list, and to go down to the kitchen to prepare a little something for lunch.

Bonheur!

* * * * *

And then crack...! a curious noise makes me going outside. I feel Aurora almost stagnant, I glance quickly on the deck, under the hull, everything seems to be in its place. My gaze then stops on the starboard stay, which I find a bit too loose. I raise my head and discover the improbable, a mast bent 10 - 20 ° at the spreader. The mishap begins ...

* * * * *

travel photography indonesia suwalesi mishap

6 years ago by vcelier (73)

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zayushz (47) · 6 years ago

Well i must say its an interesting story
well clicked Pictures also make it attractive to read and share
MY PROFILE

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1 vote

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marc-allaria (65) · 6 years ago

Thank you. Interesting to read but not to live ;-)

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free-reign (66) · 6 years ago

Interesting story, but leaves the reader on edge, without even an inkling of what the sailor does once discovering the bent mast, and no hope of finding out. That repair would probably be very expensive!

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marc-allaria (65) · 6 years ago

This is the part 2 : https://steemit.com/travel/@vcelier/the-long-mishap-part-2-by-marc-allaria-translated-from-french

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free-reign (66) · 6 years ago

I thought I just posted a reply, but it seems to have disappeared. I'm kind of glad it did though because I hadn't realized that you, the author, had also replied after my part one comment.

The reason why I'm glad that post went missing is because I wrote that, while your reaction to the sight of the town on the horizon when morning broke, with your thoughts going back to the upcoming costly repairs the mast would need, was logical since you were still under the effects of the ordeal you'd gone through overnight. Earlier you had cause to expect the loss you would suffer to be much greater, with the mast and all the expensive gear attached hitting the drink and being lost forever, and making your own survival questionable.

I hope, and I'm sure you have, found gratitude that the cost of the mast repair was the only loss you suffered once you had time to think back on your adventure.

BTW, my comment here is based on the assumption that you are the sailor; the picture of the mast makes me think this isn't fiction, but I don't really know. Is it?

It's great writing either way, and I think you've probably written other good stuff as well. Thanks for the notice of the part 2 posting. I enjoyed it!